Glory Days: Turbo-charged sixy football from Hibs

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 10:09

FANS have debated it for years – now it's your chance to help us decide once and for all.

Which is the greatest game your team has ever played?

It's day three in our quest to find Hearts and Hibs' most memorable 90 minutes as we look back at classic matches involving the Capital clubs, selected by the Evening News.

Once all five match choices have been revealed, we'll print details of how you can vote for your team's most greatest match. Did your proudest moment come during a glorious Cup final victory? Or did a thumping derby win bring you more joy?

The choice is yours.

Once all the votes are in, we'll reveal which two games are considered the greatest by you the fans.

And all readers who vote will enter a prize draw to win either a new Hearts or Hibs shirt signed by the current team.

HIBS 6, HEARTS 2

Scottish Premier League

22 October, 2000"WE want seven" was the chant thundering down from the Easter Road stands as jubilant Hibs fans celebrated a stunning derby demolition of arch-rivals Hearts.

The Hibees may have gone into the match as firm favourites given their turbo-charged start to the season – only Celtic had inflicted defeat on Alex McLeish's side – as the Capitals big two squared up to each other at Easter Road, but no-one could have predicted this margin of victory, particularly after Andy Kirk had silenced the home fans with the game's opening goal just six minutes in.

With half-time approaching Kirk's goal still separated the teams until Mixu Paatelainen struck minutes before the interval. And that, according to Pat Stanton, was when the game was won. A veteran of the 7-0 hammering of the Jambos in 1973, the former Hibs captain said: "When Hearts scored so early you began to think it was going to be one of those days when the favourites would get nothing.

"I thought the vital period was when Paatelainen equalised, Hearts were just waiting for the whistle while Hibs were still playing."

The big Finn took advantage, nosing the home side ahead before the floodgates opened in the second half, David Zitelli, Paatelainen – becoming the first Hibs player to score a derby day hat-trick since Pat Quinn in 1967 – and Russell Latapy all netting before Colin Cameron salvaged some pride for the stunned men in maroon. Stanton recalled: "When Hibs got a third you felt they could have rung up a similar score to the one we managed in 1973.

"Hearts goalkeeper Antti Niemi had a few good saves and Hibs had one or two chances which, but for tiredness, might have been converted."

If Paatelainen ensured himself of legendary status with his three goals, John O'Neil's strike was extra special, not only his first for the club but Hibs' 1000th in Premier League football.

The midfielder said: "I was still a bit of a novice to this Edinburgh derby thing but I can honestly say I'd never played in a game with such passion or so frantic a pace.

"I'd been champing at the bit to get my first goal for the club and to score it in such a match was fantastic. The fact it was the 1000th made it all the more special knowing my name will be written into history. I could hear the fans calling for seven, but 6-2 is still a great result."

Hibs: Colgan, Lovell, G Smith, Sauzee, Fenwick, Laursen, O'Neil, Jack (Andrews 36), Latapy, Paatelainen, Zitelli. Subs not used: Franks, Lehmann, Bannerman, Murray.

Hearts: Niemi, Flogel, Pressley, James, Fulton, Petric (Murray 59), Cameron, Tomaschek (McSwegan 56), Kirk (Jackson 56), Durie, Juanjo. Subs not used: McKenzie, Severin.